Kendal is responsible for the layouts of Heartland’snewspapers and other publications. In addition, Kendal also produces other graphics, designs, and advertisements for Heartland.org. He is also the host of Heartland's “In the Tank Podcast,” uploaded to the Heartland Daily Podcast iTunes feed every Friday.

If you don’t visit Somewhat Reasonable and the Heartlander digital magazine every day, you’re missing out on some of the best news and commentary on liberty and free markets you can find. But worry not, freedom lovers! The Heartland Weekly Email is here for you every Friday with a highlight show. Subscribeto the email today, and read this week’s edition below.

Affordable Energy Summit Counters Obama-Reid EventSterling Burnett, The HeartlanderThe Heartland Institute, National Black Chamber of Commerce, Nevada Policy Research Institute, and Libertarian Party of Nevada teamed up to organize a counter-program in Las Vegas this week to steal some thunder from President Obama and the Democrats’ “Clean Energy Summit.” Our presence was reported by the Associated Press and other media outlets. READ MORE

Prager University’s ‘Why I Left Greenpeace’ Features Patrick MooreIn this video from Prager University, Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, explains why he helped to create the organization … and what caused him to leave. Moore recounts how a simple movement to preserve the environment turned into a political movement that viewed humanity as an enemy of Earth. READ MORE

Heartland Launches Center for Constitutional ReformOn August 26th, Heartland hosted an event in Dallas, Texas announcing the launch of our newest center, the Center for Constitutional Reform. Speakers at the event included Heartland President Joseph Bast; legal scholar David Guldenschuh; Nick Dranias, president of Compact for America; Peter Ferrara, Heartland senior fellow and author of Power to the People; former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, and former Rep. Allen West (R-FL). READ MORE

Featured Podcast: Rob Natelson: Article V Constitutional ConventionRob Natelson, senior fellow at the Independence Institute and former constitutional law professor, joins Environment & Climate News Managing Editor H. Sterling Burnett to talk about the history and practicality of an Article V constitutional convention. Natelson provides a historical analysis of what an Article V convention is, why it was put into the Constitution, how it functions, and how such conventions have been used (or not used), in the past. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

The Heartland versus The Ruling Class!The Heartland Institute’s 31st Anniversary Benefit Dinner will take place Thursday, October 8 at The Cotillion, 360 South Creekside Drive in Palatine, Illinois. This year’s theme is “The Heartland versus The Ruling Class,”featuring the thoughts of keynote speaker Angelo Codevilla, Ph.D., author of The Ruling Class: How They Corrupted America and What We Can Do About It. Also featuring this year’s Heartland Liberty Prize winner Donald Devine, Ph.D. Join us for dinner, drinks, great conversation, and fellowship in liberty! MORE INFO HERE

Government Grant Funding Holds Back Scientific InquiryJesse Hathaway, Daily Caller Research on important public health matters is unbiased when it’s funded by the government, right? Wrong. The National Institutes of Health pours hundreds of millions of dollars a year – $623 million in 2014 alone, according to Dr. Brad Radu – into research designed to advance the agency’s stated goal of “a world free of tobacco use.” This has resulted in phony research exaggerating the negative health effects of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes, an important advance in harm reduction efforts. READ MORE

Florida Legislators Recognize Need for Flexibility, Choice in Special EducationHeather Kays, Townhall Florida’s Personal Learning Scholarship Account program has proven to be a perfect solution for special-needs students eager to learn but with disabilities that make a traditional classroom environment difficult. This year, the first year of the program, about 1,700 students received accounts. Next year, there will be enough money for more than 5,000 students, because Florida legislators increased its funding from $18.4 million to $53.4 million. READ MORE

Obesity and Health Care Costs Continue to Rise Under ObamacareJustin Haskins, Human Events In the months leading up to the passage of the Obamacare, President Barack Obama traveled across the country claiming the law would cause nation to grow healthier from its various programs and mandates. Like “if you like your current insurance, you can keep it,” this was promise the president couldn’t keep. Various mandates and provisions in Obamacare force health insurance companies to offer programs and other initiatives intended to help obese patients lose weight, but these programs depend on the patient’s willingness to enroll in the offered programs and work regularly with primary care physicians to adopt healthier lifestyle routines. Health care is becoming more expensive and obesity rates continue to grow. READ MORE

Poorer Nations Set for 99% of Population GrowthWendell Cox, New Geography According to the new United Nations World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision, the population of the world is projected to rise from 7.3 billion in 2015 to 11.2 billion in 2100. The projections indicate a continuation of trends that cause concern. A world that is experiencing virtually 100 percent of its growth in its poorest areas cannot help but face a tough future. READ MORE

Bonus Podcast: Obamacare, Medicaid Expansion and Welfare ReformThis edition of the Heartland Daily Podcast was recorded at Heartland’s Emerging Issues Forum (EIF) held in Seattle on August 7, where a panel discussed Obamacare, Medicaid expansion, and welfare reform. The panel, led by Heartland Government Relations Director John Nothdurft, includes Naomi Lopez Bauman, director of health care policy for the Goldwater Institute; Christina Herrera, a senior fellow of the Foundation for Government Accountability; and Arizona State Sen. Kelli Ward. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

The Subprime College CrisisJoy Pullmann, The Heartlander Remember the subprime mortgage crisis that fed the 2008 recession? That, too, was fueled by easy taxpayer money from a national government foolishly pushing social outcomes. The Obama administration, rather than dealing with the root problem of government meddling with markets, has doubled down on taxpayers’ exposure by offering young people even more taxpayer money to offset their student loans. New figures show approximately one in six student-loan holders are in default. READ MORE

Greenpeace Workers Stage Strike, WalkoutEmily Zanotti, Somewhat Reasonable According to the San Diego Free Press, 16 of 19 canvassers hired by Greenpeace to collect small-dollar donations and routine donation commitments have walked off the job and are currently “on strike.” The group accuses Greenpeace of “hypocricy” (sic), claiming that while touting progressive ideals, Greenpeace benefits primarily from the work of a labor force that has no minimum wage and must meet donation quotas regularly to retain their employment. READ MORE

Invest in the Future of Freedom! Are you considering 2015 gifts to your favorite charities? We hope The Heartland Institute is on your list. Preserving and expanding individual freedom is the surest way to advance many good and noble objectives, from feeding and clothing the poor to encouraging excellence and great achievement. Making charitable gifts to nonprofit organizations dedicated to individual freedom is the most highly leveraged investment a philanthropist can make. Click here to make a contribution online, or mail your gift to The Heartland Institute, One South Wacker Drive, Suite 2740, Chicago, IL 60606. To request a FREE wills guide or to get more information to plan your future please visit My Gift Legacy http://legacy.heartland.org/or contact Gwen Carver at 312/377-4000 or by email at gcarver@heartland.org.